Portable stand with rural mailbox accommodating means



1961 J. A. ALMS 2,995,330

PORTABLE STAND WITH RURAL MAILBOX ACCOMMODATING MEANS Filed July 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 24 Fig.

#"---- FE? /00 I: 70 II 72 H I Ll John A. A/ms INVENTOR.

J. A. ALMS 2,995,330

PORTABLE STAND WITH RURAL MAILBOX ACCOMMODATING MEANS Z Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2. 1959 John ,4, 4/075 INVENTOR,

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United States Patent 2,995,330 PORTABLE STAND WITH RURAL MAILBOX ACCOMMODATING MEANS John A. Alms, 4031 Main St., Joplin, Mo. Filed July 2, 1959, Ser. No. 824,711 4 Claims. (Cl. 248145) The present invention relates to the category of inventions generally classified as supports and has reference, specifically speaking, to a portable stand which, as is genenally the situation, is placed for use along the margin of a road or highway and which is expressly but not necessarily designed and adapted to mount and erect a rural mailbox for practical and available incoming and outgoing mail service.

Since, as is currently understood rural mailboxes, as such, pertain to classified inventions separate and distinct from stands the mailbox aspect of the over-all concept is being deemphasized here with a view toward more effectually and emphatically revealing the particular-ized nature of the invention namely, a stand characterized by a novel base, a vertically extensible and retractible upright attached to and rising perpendicularly from said base, and a novel multipurpose head mounted atop the upright and embodying means whereby said head may be advantageously utilized to support a rural mailbox or an equivalent package and article holding box and wherein means is also embodied to removably and adjustably support a shelf-type rack that may be aptly used to hold various articles of merchandise or packaged goods in readiness to be picked up by the resident owner of the stand.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the construction which has been preferably adopted has to do with a hollow base which is designed and adapted to be charged and loaded with sand so that it becomes suficiently heavy that it will stay put in the place where it is located. The base is provided with extensible and retractible circumferentially spaced legs which are provided at their outer ends with appropriately constructed and angle feet which jointly function to assist in advantageously spotting and effectually retaining the base in its adopted location.

The invention also features the type of a base referred to and a vertically adjustable jack-like upright the screw threaded stem or feed screw of which is provided with a novel head structure having, as a part thereof, an adapter frame on which a rural mailbox may be positioned and fastened for use. Then, too, novelty is predicated on the rack-like adapter on which the bottom of the rural mailbox is based and held and wherein simple and expedient means is also provided to accommodate the attaching arms of a slide-away package rack which can be brought into play and used if and when necessary or desired.

Novelty is also predicated on a coil spring and turnbuckle and chain means anchored at one end on a part of the aforementioned head and having its other outer or forward end attached to the adapter rack which rack is freely swingable in a horizontal plane and which if accidentally struck by a passing automobile or if the mail delivery man drives too close to it, it will be swung out of the way to prevent breakage and will eventually return by way of the spring return means to its desired normal or ready-to-use position.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative, but not restrictive, drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of the invention;

2,995,330 Patented Aug. 8, 1961 FIG. 2 is a view at right angles to that depicted as FIG. 1, portions being broken away and omitted to facilitate showing the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, that is, a view observing FIG. 2 for example in a direction from right to left;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view with parts appearing primarily in section and which view is taken on the plane of the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view of an extension portion of the frame constituting the adapter for the rural mailbox taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken on the plane of the line 66 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing with the aid of reference numerals and lead lines the significant base is characterized chiefly by a hollow non-corrodible sheet metal or an equivalent container or sand drum 8. As seen best in FIG. 3 this base comprises a circular bottom or base plate 10 one substantially semicircular portion of which projects as at 12 and is provided with pairs of aligned anchor rings 14 provided with outstanding horizontal legs. That is to say, the legs are extensible and contractible and the stationary part of the leg is denoted at 16 and comprises a hollow tube or sleeve. This tube serves to provide a receiver and socket for the telescopically mounted sliding leg section 18. The outer end of this leg section 18 is provided with an angularly shaped foot one angle portion of which constitutes a vertical flange 2% secured to the outer end 22 of the leg and which carries a horizontal flange 24. The leg section 18 may be rotated axially to facilitate levelling the foot and the leg 18 may be slid in or out to position the foot advantageously on the ground or other surface on which the base plate 10 is adapted to set when it is being used. The lower part of the container is semispherical as at 26 and the upper part is of truncated halfconical form as at 28, the truncated apex being denoted at 30 and the sand opening or hole at 32. The upright or standard which is attached to and rises vertically from the top of the base comprises a simple jack. That is to say the cylinder of the jack is denoted at 34 and is fixed in place and is provided on its upper end with a suitably welded feed nut 36 accommodating the jack screw 38 which jack screw is provided with a lock nut 40. This construction is better detailed in FIG. 4 wherein it will be seen that the upper end portion 42 of the jack screw has an axial screw threaded socket 44 to accommodate the screw threaded shank 46 on an assembling and retaining bolt 48 having a smooth journal portion 50. A first horizontal dish or plate 52 is centrally fixed on the upper end of the jack screw 38 and it has superimposed thereon a second companion disk or plate 54 which provides in conjunction with the first disk a two-part turntable. The

turntable can be elevated or lowered by way of the adjustment jack and then locked by the lock nut 40. The turntable or swivel itself comprises not only the two disks 52 and 54 but embodies the aforementioned assembling bolt 46 (FIG. 4) the journal portion 50 thereof of which turns in a bearing provided therefor at the center of the disk 54 as at 56. The head of the bolt serves to clamp the two disks or plates together and it also serves to hold in position a generally rectangular thin sheet metal plate 58 forming the bottom part of the adapter for the rural mailbox 60. The adapter comprises the plate 58 and a pair of horizontal spaced parallel cylindrical tubes 62 which are welded or otherwise secured in parallelism atop the plate 58 and between whose inner lengthwise surfaces the base of the mailbox 60 is removably fitted with the base resting atop the plate 58. This adapter for the mailbox also includes an extensible and retractible part which embodies hollow slides or arms 64 having telescoping association with the cylinders 62 and having keyways or slots 66 (FIG. 5) to accommodate the shank 68 of a fastener carried by the cylindrical tubing 62. There is also a cross rod 70 provided and this, as shown in FIG. 1 for example, has a pin hole therein that may accommodate a stud or pin on the bottom of the mailbox (or whatever is used in lieu of the mailbox) and providing holddown means for the box. With this adjustable adapter mailboxes of different lengths can be satisfactorily accommodated.

It will be evident that because of the journal 50, the adapter and rotatable upper disk 54 may swivel either to the right or the left. There are instances where by mistake or perhaps by accident automobiles might run into a projecting mailbox, where the mailbox is mounted perhaps too close to the margin of the road or highway. Ordinarily such a crash would smash the box and perhaps knock down the post or upright which supports it. In this case it is of course possible that even though the base is weighted with sand it could be caused to topple over from a severe blow. This is not an intended feature but could perhaps have some incidental importance. On the other hand the portability of the stand is highly important and the stand can be moved from place to place while the drum is free of sand. Then when the drum or base has been set in the desired position it may be loaded by way of the sand hole 32 and adjusted and balanced by way of the extensible legs and aforementioned feet, the features 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24.

If the box is' accidentally struck spring centering and return means is provided. This comprises coil springs 74 suitably secured as at 76 to the forward end portion of the plate 58 as at 78. Each coil spring is in turn attached to a turnbuckle 80 joined by a link or hook 82 to a fixed bracket or arm 84. One end of the bracket or arm is welded to the underneath side of the stationary plate or disk 52. The other end portion has holes 86 therein for adjustably attaching the link 82 thereto. There is also another bracket arm 88 provided and this is also fixed to the bottom of the disk 54 so that either of the arms 84 or 88 may be caught hold and used as handles. Of course the disk 52 is solid with the upper end of the feed screw 38 and this upper end portion 4-2 is the part to which the arm 88 is connected whereby the arm 88 can be used as a handle for turning the feed screw and raising or lowering the head, that is including the superimposed first and second disks 52 and 54, the plate 58 and the tubular members 62 and 64 thereon providing the adapter for the mailbox.

The stand also is such in construction that it may be utilized not only for a mailbox or an equivalent package holding box (not detailed) it can also be used as support means for a projectible and retractible openwork package rack of shelf-like construction which is denoted generally by the numeral 90. This rack 90 comprises a vertical frame 92 with end frame members 94. In addition there is a horizontal rack portion made up of the shelf members 96 and 98 as seen in FIG. 1. The longitudinally disposed strap or member 96 has bent portions 100 at the ends thereof slidingly resting upon spaced parallel tubular socket members 102. These tubular socket members are supplemental to the tubes or primary socket members 62 and are best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 wherein it will be evident that each socket member is encircled by collars or rings 104 fixed beneath the tubes 62 (FIG. 6) and these socket members serve to telescopically and slidingly receive the extensible and retractible guide members 106 constituting portions of the horizontal part of the shelf-like rack. FIG. 1 shows the rack in its retracted or out-of-the-way position in full lines and in extended in-use position in dotted lines. The same figure shows the adjustment feature for the forward part of the mailbox adapter rack, that is the parts 64 and 70. The same figure shows the adjustable positioning of the extensible legs and their angularly shaped feet 20 and 24.

One owning this stand will have at his disposal an easy to erect construction, one which is sufiiciently light in weight that it may be transported at least from the place of manufacture to the point of erection at the farm or elsewhere and then, once the base place 10 is set down, the user loads the drum or container 8 with sand by way of the sand fill hole 32. This causes the base 8 as a unit to stay put. However, it may be necessary or desirable to also bring the extensible and retractible balancing and stabilizing legs into position, that is, the legs comprising the outer fixed radiating tubular or socket members 16 and the extensible legs 18 with their angularly shaped feet at the outer end thereof. It follows that a comparatively solid and difiicult-to-topple base is provided and this in turn carries the aforementioned elevation adjusting jack comprising the cylinder 34 and the jack screw 38. The head structure atop the feed screw provides the adapter rack or frame for the rural mailbox. The rack may also be a part of the head and the head is made up of the swivelling plates which can be adjusted to allow for a turning movement of the entire rackequipped head in case the head is struck accidentally by a moving vehicle. The spring means serves to retain the rack and head in its normal position. The package rack or shelf will come in handy for many different uses as will be evident.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stand constituting a support for a rural mailbox or the like comprising a base plate which may be seated on the ground or anchored in a concrete or an equivalent foundation for relative permanency, a hollow sand containing drum fixed atop said plate and having a vertical front wall and a filler hole suitably located to facilitate charging the space of the drum with sand, a substantial marginal portion of said base plate projecting beyond said front wall, a vertically adjustable jack attached to and rising from the top portion of said drum, said jack being provided at an upper end with a first fixed horizontal plate, a second horizontal plate superimposed on the first plate and relatively rotatable relative to said first plate, removable means axially bolting the two plates together and to the upper end of the jack, a third horizontal plate fastened atop the second plate and also held in position by said means, spaced parallel tubular members mounted atop the third plate, said tubular members and that portion of the third plate cooperating therewith providing mounting means for a mailbox, anchor rings aligned with each other and mounted on circumferentially spaced portions of the base plate and provided with horizontally, radially extensible and contractible legs, said legs being provided at their outer ends with angular flange-like members constituting feet, which latter assist in balancing, erecting and supporting the jack and plate means atop the jack.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and a bracket arm fixed to a marginal portion of the first-named horizontal plate, and a coil spring having one end anchored fixedly and the other end adjustably connected with a cooperating end portion of said bracket arm.

3. A portable stand designed and adapted to serve as a support for a rural mailbox or the like and comprising a base plate adapted to reside in contact with a founda tion surface, a hollow tank-like container mounted atop said plate and provided with a filler hole and adapted to be loaded by way of said hole with sand so that it will be sufficiently heavy to maintain a set position on said foundation, a vertically adjustable jack attached to and rising from the top of said container, said jack provided at its upper end with a first fixed horizontal plate, a second horizontal plate superimposed thereon and relatively rotatable in respect to said first plate, centrally located means bolting the plates together, said means having a journal allowing the second plate to swivel freely relative to the first named plate, a third horizontal plate fastened atop the second plate, a pair of tubular socket members fixed atop said third plate, said socket members and a cooperating portion of the latter plate providing a satisfactory mounting for a mailbox, a bracket arm fixed to a marginal portion of the first named plate, a coil spring having one end fixedly anchored, and an adjustable and linking connection between the other end of the spring and said bracket arm.

4. A portable stand designed and adapted to serve as a support for a rural mailbox or the like and comprising a base plate adapted to reside in contact with a foundation surface, a hollow tank-like container mounted atop said plate and provided with a filler hole and adapted to be loaded by way of said hole with sand so that it will be sufficiently heavy to maintain a set position on said foundation, a vertically adjustable jack attached to and rising from the top of said container, said jack provided at its upper end with a first fixed horizontal plate, a second horizontal plate superimposed thereon and relatively rotatable in respect to said first plate, centrally located means bolting the plates together, said means having a journal allowing the second plate to swivel freely relative to the first named plate, a third horizontal plate fastened atop the second plate, a pair of tubular socket members fixed atop said third plate, said socket members and a cooperating portion of the latter plate providing a satisfactory mounting for a mailbox, spaced parallel coplanar auxiliary socket members disposed at right angles to and fixed in a plane below and to underneath sides of the aforementioned socket members, an extensible and retractible package rack comprising a horizontal shelf normally retracted to and assuming a stored position beneath said third plate, said shelf being manually shiftable from its stored position to an extended usable position outwardly beyond one of said first named socket members and carrying a vertical frame, the lower portion of said frame having guide members disposed at right angles to the frame and parallel to the shelf and telescoping slidingly into their respective socket members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 170,315 Gerber Sept. 1, 1953 D. 179,897 Humphreys Mar. 19, 1957 1,595,206 McIntosh Aug. 10, 1926 1,631,227 See June 7, 1927 2,104,072 Carr Jan. 4, 1938 2,497,989 Hall Feb. 21, 1950 2,764,380 Gumphrey Sept. 25, 1956 2,865,259 Blazek et al. Dec. 23, 1958 

